


Lover´s Ghost

by MiriyanThesilverWolf



Category: The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: F/M, King Thorin, Thorin Feels, grieving thorin, lost lover
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-10-20
Packaged: 2019-10-29 04:16:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17800880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiriyanThesilverWolf/pseuds/MiriyanThesilverWolf
Summary: After losing his One, Thorin is falling into the darkness of grief and despair.  Everyone in Erebor is afraid of their king who is turning into someone they don't recognize anymore. But when whispers of a huge white beast wandering in the wilderness reach Erebor Thorin's nephews set in motion a plan that has far-reaching consequences. What is this beast? Why is it there? And why its howling sounds so sad like it has lost a loved one?





	1. Hold on to the memories

**Author's Note:**

> This is the sequel I promised for Lover, Fighter series :)

Thorin stared into the darkness of a gulley where his One had fall taking Navubela with her. Not only that, Nori and Dori had fallen in too when she was trying to attack the dwarrowdam. He was shaking to the core when the cruel reality hit him as he knew he would never see her again, never would be able to hear her howls, her gentle voice or be able to embed his fingers through that rough fur and smell the wild scent of her he loved so much. Breaking down completely Thorin fell to his knees crying while hiding his face into his hands. Dwalin kneeled beside him, gently shaking Thorin´s shoulder trying not to break down himself too.

 _“Come on Thorin, we need to leave, there´s nothing we can do,”_ the gruff warrior whispered hoarsely as Balin turned away holding back his own tears. Ori was crying in the arms of Gloin and Balin knew it would be hard on the young dwarrow.

 _“I can´t…I can´t leave her down there…”_ Thorin sobbed quietly thinking of her broken bloodied body lying motionlessly on to the bottom of the gulley, her eyes dull and lifeless. Those golden eyes that reflexed the ancient wisdom in them were now forever closed and Thorin couldn´t handle it.

Screaming his agony into the air as he could feel that aching in his heart, it left him broken inside.

 _“I know Thorin, but we can´t reach her, it´s too deep and we lack the men power not to mention we don´t have anything we can pull her out. It´s hard to accept but this is her final resting place,”_ Balin spoke quietly wiping his face trying to keep his voice steady.

 _“She is with Nori and Dori…,”_ Dwalin added offering his king a sad smile when Thorin looked at him.

 _“Aye….”_ Thorin nodded steading himself as he stood slowly up.

 _“Let´s go,”_ he said solemnly turning his back starting to walk away from the gulley and that was the most difficult thing he had to do in his life. It felt like he was forsaking her but Thorin knew he couldn´t stay.

This was Erebor´s greatest tragedy after Smaug had taken the mountain, they had lost their queen and Thorin had lost his One. Walking toward Woodland Realm to take Fili and Kili with them, Thorin kept thinking how he was going to tell the boys she was gone. First Thorin had to tell them their father had died when they were little and now, he had to tell them their aunt, they loved more than anything was dead too.

As the company walked through the path where her paw prints could still be seen in the mud Thorin´s heart was breaking. They were fresh like she had walked in front of them just mere minutes ago. He had to tear his gaze up from the ground so he wouldn´t look at them as he approached the bridge that connected Thranduil´s kingdom.

Legolas and his guards were waiting for them alongside Fili and Kili who were eager to see her again but as they kept watching the grieving looking warriors their faces paled as they feared the worst. As Thorin stopped in front of them he quietly gazed at the boy’s eyes he watched how they broke down as they could see the silent answer to their burning question where she was.

Pulling them into his brace the Durin family grieved together the loss of the magnificent creature they learned to love, who taught them compassion, to never give up and love. Who balanced their lives, their uncle´s life giving it a purpose again. In their minds, the great white wolf stood little further away looking at the Durin boys with love and respect before turning away and walked into the darkness with Dori and Nori saying goodbye to the company.

 

***

 

Erebor had never been a darker place for the dwarves as Thorin and his men returned. They held a memorial ceremony for the fallen queen, Dori, and Nori. The floor of Gallery of the Kings was a sea of candles as everyone brought their own little candle lighting it up, Dale honored the fallen by carving statues and placing them at the end of the bridge that connected the path to Erebor and Dale. Her wolf statue guarded the entry of Erebor and Dori´s and Nori´s stood proudly behind her.

Thorin was brooding more than ever, he got snappy at every little thing he disagreed with the dwarf lords at meetings making Balin´s effort to keep the peace rather difficult, almost impossible. Thorin´s face was almost always pale and grave, he barely slept at nights as the nightmares haunted him relentlessly. He had stopped caring how he looked, he drank until he passed out only to be awakened by the nightmares of her falling into the darkness a pained howl echoing through the air until it faded away leaving Thorin utterly alone.

He took a habit of walking around the corridors and halls in Erebor, remembering the times when he had her beside him and absentmindedly lifted his hand to caress her side but when he felt nothing he snapped out of his dream fisting his hand and clenching his jaw.

Feeling angry at himself Thorin started walking briskly toward the balcony where he could see the lands of Erebor and Dale. It was middle of the night, the sky was clear and thousands of stars twinkled welcoming dwarf king to their company while the pale full moon illuminated the landscape making it look beautiful and eery at the same time. Leaning against the stone railing Thorin´s eyes wandered across the plains letting his mind go blank as he took in his domain.

A gentle wind caressed his raven black hair twirling the few silver strand of hair when there was a distant howl traveling through the air, it was faint but Thorin could hear it. Perking up he listened keenly but his head told him it was just an ordinary wolf howling somewhere in the wilderness. His beloved had died two years ago. Sighing he turned around deciding to get some sleep if Mahal would allow him and stepping back inside he ignored the pained howl that wind carried across the plains before it slowly faded.

A pair of golden eyes sadly gazed toward Erebor while the ears moved to try to hear any response to its cries but the animal´s surrounding was silent. Turning away it decided to go into the west for search what it had lost as clearly, it was not here.

 

Fili and Kili were whispering to one another while having breakfast in the dining hall when Thorin walked in looking like he had been dragged through a thornbush, after getting a beating from the orcs while drinking until passing out.

 _“Morn…ing…”_ Kili started brightly but his voice faded away as he saw what state in his uncle was.

 _“What happened to you?”_ Fili dared to ask earning a death glare from Thorin who wasn´t in the mood of explaining himself to anyone. Last night had been the worst kind for him.

 _“Never mind,”_ Fili quickly said lifting his hands and focusing on his breakfast while Thorin sat down at the end of the table sighing heavily hiding his face into his hand feeling exhausted.

 _“So did you heard the howl last night?”_ Kili asked his brother while taking a bite from his bread.

 _“Yes, I did although it didn´t sound like a normal wolf to me,”_ Fili answered looking thoughtful causing Thorin to lift his gaze behind his hand as his eyes flashed warningly.

 _“Do you think…?”_ Kili started but loud bang onto the table made them both jump in fright as they turned their heads to look at their uncle who was furious.

 _“That´s enough!”_ Thorin bellowed standing up.

 _“She is dead! End of the discussing!”_ Thorin growled pointing at them and both brothers nodded their heads frantically too scared to speak as they watched Thorin angrily making his way out of the hall. Kili and Fili glanced at each other when Thorin had disappeared around the corner.

 _“He is getting worse…”_ Kili muttered.

 _“Yes he is…we need to do something,”_ Fili said while playing his food. He had suddenly lost his appetite.

 _“Do you think it could have been her?”_ Kili then whispered quiet enough causing Fili to look up.

 _“Only one way to find out,”_ he grinned and got up from his seat.

 _“Let´s find Ori…he needs a change of scenery too,”_ Kili grinned back and the two Durin brothers set their plan in motion that would have far-reaching consequences.


	2. Faded memories

Walking slowly across the plains of Rohan, the grand wolf with silver-white fur hang her head low eyes half closed feeling exhausted as she had just a few days ago roamed past Helm´s Deep. On her chest, there were two faint scars, on her side had a reminder of her falling down the deep gulley, hitting her side into the sharp rocks before she landed on her back at the bottom feeling the bones in her body breaking and blood filling her mouth.

Shaking her head, her memories of two years ago were foggy, she didn´t remember much of that time. But it troubled her when she finally had come back to consciousness, next to her was lying a dead dwarrowdam. The wolf could see she was long gone, her neck and spine had been broken, her skull was open and her skin was ashen as the blood had drained from her and her eyes were glazed. But there were also deep bite marks on the dwarrow´s body and her left leg was almost bitten off making the wolf frown, had she bit that poor woman? Why? Who was she?

Hushed whines and groans made the wolf turn slowly her head and although her eyesight wasn´t that good because of her injuries, she could see there were two more dwarves with her at the bottom of the gulley. What on earth had happened that she was companied by dwarves? All but one had survived the fall and now they had to heal their wounds, form some sort of an alliance and figure out how they were going to get out. Neither the dwarves remembered how they had ended up there, it would seem they all suffered severe memory loss so it was pointless trying to figure out what their relationship had been before.

The dead dwarrowdam offered some nutrition, that how life worked, one´s death was another´s life. The two dwarrow´s found some roots, anything eatable really and by luck couple of deers had fallen at the bottom when they got scared by the thunderstorm that offered them much needed water. It was a harsh time but the three of them somehow managed to survive until the wolf was well enough to get the dwarrows on her back and inch by inch climb back to the surface. They bit each other farewells, the wolf stayed in Mirkwood while the dwarves decided to head toward Ered Luin as it was the last thing they remembered.

The moon was rising on the dark sky companied by thousands of twinkling stars but as she lifted her gaze toward the sky, she couldn´t shake the feeling in her heart that something was missing, she felt hollow, lonely and she couldn´t understand why. She was a wolf, lone wanderer of the lands of Middle-Earth but yet she stayed close to Erebor for two years after she got out from the gulley as she felt like not wanting to leave but not knowing why. She had stayed hidden from the elves making sure no one knew she was there until it got unbearable and she was feeling the need to find a new territory. She didn´t have a companion, so why it felt like her soul wasn’t complete? She couldn´t fathom that at all, she tried to remember the time before her fall but it was like her memories of that time was hidden behind a curtain of white mist, taunting her but still not revealing itself. She felt angry, frustrated and sad not been able to remember and lifting her head she let out a far-reaching, pained howl that traveled across the lands. But no one answered her calling, and it was to her a sign to leave and find a new life from somewhere else.

After weeks of traveling she had reached plains of Rohan and as she walked past Helm´s Deep the wolf felt little at ease. Although she traveled by night so very few folks would see her yet there were some that noticed her presence and spread the word out that there was a giant white wolf roaming on their lands. She was heading toward Ered Nimrais where she could settle down, built a nest and start living her life. People of Rohan and Gondor that lay behind the mountains avoided the White Mountains as there was always a thick blanket of mist covering the landscape, lots of snow and creatures they feared so much they stayed away and that suited her more than well.

 

In Erebor Fili and Kili packed their bags after speaking with Ori who wasn´t so keen to go out on another adventure, he had enough of those but brothers of Durin insisted that change of scenery might do some good and besides, Ori would feel much better if they found Thorin´s One alive and well although it might not bring his brothers back but still, it was better than locking himself inside the Erebor´s royal library every day.

 _“Have you told Thorin about this?”_ Ori asked as he walked beside Fili and Kili through the corridors heading toward the front gate.

 _“No, as he is sure she is dead. Arguing about it won´t get us nowhere so, we didn´t tell him anything,”_ Kili said pulling his hood over his as well Fili when approached the first guards that stood in the watch. Fili and Kili had dressed as common dwarves rather than royal princes so they would get out easier while Ori was wearing his usual traveling clothes but it fooled the guards enough so they could sneak out the mountain and head off into the wilderness at dead of night.

 _”Where do we even start looking? She could be anywhere by now,”_ Ori sighed pulling the hood over his head tightly as they set off following the dark road ahead of them. Kili pursed his lips for a second glancing his brother who was also thinking about that.

 _“Well, the most logical location would be Mirkwood, that was the last place she was seen after her drop into the gulley,”_ Fili spoke gazing Ori and Kili who both nodded.

 _“But we need to be careful, not to let Thranduil know we are there. He would notify Thorin immediately and I´m not going be dragged back to Erebor before we could even start this mission,”_ Kili spoke lowly.

 _“What about Tauriel?”_ Ori asked curiously earning confused expression from Kili.

_“What about her?”_

_“Don´t you want to let her know you are there?”_ Ori teased him wiggling his brows causing Fili to chuckle sending knowing smirk toward Kili who was now red as the ripe tomato. Grunting Kili speed up his pace leaving the two snickering dwarves behind him.

 _“You two are the worse kind,”_ he muttered footsteps causing rustling sound as the trio walked toward Mirkwood where they hoped to have their first lead on the wolf.

 

Pawprints were left behind as she trotted casually forward through the snowy path. After leaving Rohan´s plains behind she finally reached the White Mountains and the rocky landscape changed into snow and ice, cold wind blowing the soft blanket of snow twirling it into the air forming a small snow tornado but she wasn´t bothered by it. Her thick fur protected her against the cold and her big, wide paws acted like snowshoes preventing her to sink in.

Her breathing was heavy, escaping as little clouds of vapor as she slowly made her way through the narrow path. She knew there was a valley between the mountains where no one dared to go, as the race of Men told tales that was a Valley of the Giants. That suited her more than fine, it was a harsh, unforgiving environment to live but on the other hand, she was safe from being hunted if someone wanted to prove their bravery by killing a big wolf. Eventually, the path disappeared forcing her to watch where she was setting her paws so she would not slip and take another fall into the base of the mountain. Glancing slightly down for a second or two she wondered if this was such a good idea after all but huffing she continued climbing. Jumping onto a wide ledge she shook herself and turning around while taking a breather gazed at her new domain.

In front of her, a widespread landscape greeted her. As far as the eyes could see the rugged lands of Rohan spread in every direction. Around her rose the mighty snow covered mountains defiantly challenging any living creature to conquer them. Mountain peaks were so high even the clouds had to bow to them surrounding the base of the peaks covering them into the endless blanket of fog. Standing tall she puffed her chest with pride, this was her home now and she would guard it as long as she was alive. No one would enter without her knowing about it.

 

After days of walking the company of three reached Mirkwood and halting in front of the edge of the forest, they gazed at the sick looking trees that hauntingly stood still, darkness looming behind them. Quietly Fili, Kili, and Ori entered the Mirkwood once again listening any noise that would indicate trouble as the first rays of light of the morning sun was stretching out in the horizon.

 _“This is becoming a habit,”_ Ori muttered under his breath while following the Durin’s deeper into the forest.

 _“Let´s hope this is the last time we need to be here,”_ Kili answered quietly glancing over his shoulder just in time to see Ori frowning.

 _“Shh you two,”_ Fili hushed slowing down keenly listening as his sharp eyes tried to see anything even slightly dangerous ahead. When they finally reached the gulley Ori´s mind was filled with memories what happened here two years ago, as the dried blood was still visible on the rock´s surface, faint scratch marks near the edge as the wolf tried to prevent herself from falling, echoed shouts and cries as Ori was forced to watch how his brothers fell to their deaths. Shaking his head trying to forget about all that Kili´s gasp broke his concentration and he walked to stand next to the dark-haired dwarf.

_“What?”_

Kili pointed at the fresh trail of footprints on the ground and as Fili and Ori followed his finger to the ground they couldn´t believe it. Huge pawprints and two pair of boots were trailing the softer ground away from the gulley. All three looked up to each other and started to follow the prints until they saw that the pawprints separated from the bootprints making Fili frown.

 _“They separated….”_ he muttered his gaze following the pawprints leading out of the forest away from Erebor.

 _“If Nori and Dori survived with her, why they didn´t come back to us?!”_ Ori cried out not understanding why his brothers didn´t return to Erebor.

 _“I don´t know,”_ Fili said quietly looking at Ori who was stressed about the fact that Nori and Dori seemed to be alive but didn´t return home to him.

 _“I need to find them!”_ Ori then said with new determination shining in his eyes as he gazed Fili and Kili who looked at each other.

 _“Are you sure you want to go by yourself? You don´t even know where to look?”_ Kili asked little worriedly but Ori just shook his head.

 _“I need to know…please, I can do this, I need to do this on my own,”_ Ori pleaded.

 _“You are not exactly a fighter Ori….so this what we are gonna do. Kili will go with you, I´ll try to find out what happened to her and if I can, going to find her,”_ Fili spoke serious expression on his face and Ori nodded excitedly while Kili merely walked to stand next to him.

 _“When we have found his brothers, we´ll come to find you and help to find her,”_ Kili said and nodding his head Fili accepted the plan.

 _“Be careful,”_ Fili said gravelly turning around while Kili and Ori set out a new direction of their own.

 _“You too!”_ Kili waved his hand and turning his attention to Ori who was already following the footprints of his brothers out of the forest.

 _“They are leading toward Erebor….”_ Ori was confused.

 _“Yes, but we know they didn´t come to Erebor…so I wonder if they went to Iron Hills since their path goes past Lonely Mountain in order to reach the Iron Hills,”_ Kili thought while glancing at Ori whose face lit up.

 _“Iron Hills it is then!”_ he quipped excitedly and sped up his pace while Kili chuckling followed the young dwarf.

While Fili followed the wolf´s pawprints out of the forest on the other side of it he thought for the first time if this was a good idea, since she didn´t return to their uncle something sinister might have happened after she got up from the gulley. But remembering his uncle´s pained, sorrowful expressions these last two years, Fili was determined to find her and bring her back to Thorin, back home.

 _“Where are you going?”_ he muttered as he looked ahead the landscape that opened up in front of him as he was standing at the edge of Mirkwood.


	3. More secrets

Fixing his bag on his back, Fili set off following the pawprints out into the wilderness hoping he would be able to find her.

Walking through the Brown Lands toward Rohan Fili was cursing not taking a ram when they had left Erebor.  Fili couldn´t see anything but barren, withered slopes without even scrub or grass. What had caused such a desolation Fili couldn´t remember reading or hearing about it, all he knew what Balin had told him when he was a wee lad. The lands were fertile plains where the location of Entwives gardens was. Sauron ruined the area as a defense against the advance of the Allies, and the Entwives were driven away or that´s what history books told them.

 _“Why on earth she is heading to Rohan?”_ Fili muttered as he walked forward looking around time to time making sure nothing could ambush him although no living creature occupied The Brown Lands anymore.

The sun was slowly starting to set on the horizon, and the cold wind blowing from the north made Fili shiver, and he couldn´t wait to get out from this Mahal forsaken lands. A couple of ravens flew above him like they were mocking him as they were wandering around him for a while before disappearing in the distance.

Huffing Fili pulled his hood tighter over his head and continued his walk while thinking back when they had returned to Erebor two years ago. Thorin was utterly devastated, not speaking to anyone. Half the journey Dwalin was forced to support him as Thorin´s legs refused to keep going.

Once they had arrived, Thorin had locked himself in his royal chambers not letting in anyone. He screamed throwing stuff into the walls as his agony was too much to bear. Finally, Thorin had fallen to the floor crying silently while the heart in his heart pounded against the chest. He wanted to die. The pain of losing his One was too much for him to take. No one knew how to comfort their king, not Balin, Dwalin, not even his nephews knew what to do.

Sighing to those memories, Fili kept going hoping he would find some resting spot before it would be too dark. He had been walking nonstop for the entire day, and the Erebor´s golden lion was feeling tired and hungry. The howling wind was his only companion on these desolated lands, and for the first time in his life, Fili felt lonely. He missed his mother who had sent a letter that she would be coming to Erebor before next Durin´s Day. But that was months away, and Dis didn't know what had happened to Thorin´s One.

The sound of streaming water ahead broke Fili´s thoughts, and he lifted his gaze. The Anduin or on the common tongue The Great River was now between Fili and his next destination, The Wold, upland grasslands of Rohan where the wolf´s pawprints seemed to be going. He knew that crossing the river at dark was suicide mission so once he had finally reached it, Fili started to look for a spot to set camp for the night.

Taking shelter under a small cavern formed by big boulders Fili flopped on his back listening to the howling wind that seemed to be getting stronger. Sighing he lifted himself to sitting position and went through his bag searching for the dried meat and bread. Since Fili didn´t have any wood so that he could start a fire, he decided after eating he should try and get some sleep. Pulling the blanket out of his bag Fili curled under it his eyelids soon got heavier and his muscles relaxing, it didn´t take long him to fall asleep.

 

Ori and Kili were making their way toward Iron Hills but as the daylight faded slowly Kili had to convince Ori they should stop for the night and continue their journey in the morning. It was too dangerous to try to walk unfamiliar territory at night.

As they looked for a safe place to camp for the night, Ori noticed a dim light coming from the distance and nudged Kili pointing at the direction where the light was coming from.

 _“It looks like there´s a cottage. Maybe we could ask if we can sleep there?”_ Ori looked hopeful while Kili wasn´t so sure. He didn´t remember anyone living so close to Erebor so he was more skeptical about it.

 _“I don´t know Ori…I don´t feel good about that plan,”_ Kili muttered but Ori gave him the most pleading puppy eyes he could muster earning Kili to sigh in defeat.

 _“Fine…but if I smell any kind of trouble, we are out, no buts. Understood?”_ he said pointing at Ori´s face looking deadly seriously making Ori nod furiously.

 _“Alright, let´s go see who lives there,”_ Kili sighed and they started to approach the cottage warily.

It was baffling to Kili why would anyone wanted to live here in the middle of a wilderness. If the cottage was near a small village, forest or even a river Kili would understand it better, but out here, there was nothing. The nearest forest was Mirkwood, but it located an entirely different direction and many miles away. And nearest village or city was the city of Dale that was under a rebuilding. The cottage located literally in the middle of nowhere.

 _“Be on your guard Ori, we don´t know what kind of people lives here,”_ Kili muttered as they got closer.

Ori nodded taking out his slingshot, he trusted the prince to know if something was off.

Stone made gabled cottage looked simple, standing alone in the growing darkness like a lonely beacon welcoming any stray visitors. Beautiful blood-red and golden flowers grew in pots underneath the windowsills earning a warm welcoming feeling and on the porch, two wooden pillars were carrying lanterns while they swayed lightly in the breeze making a quiet squeaky sound.

 _“I would say it´s a woman who lives here,”_ Ori whispered as they slowly stepped onto the porch eyeing their surroundings.

 _“What makes you say that?”_ Kili asked glancing over Ori who pointed the flower pots.

Humming Kili nodded stopped in the front of the wooden door knocking it carefully. For a while, it was quiet until the dwarves heard footsteps closing in and suddenly door flung open and small, an elderly looking woman with a warm smile stood before them.

 _“Oh are you boys lost?”_ she asked with a pleasant warm sounding voice as she gazed at Kili and Ori.

The dwarves gave each other a look before Kili opened his mouth.

_“No, we are heading to Iron Hills but the nightfall got us a bit a surprise and we were hoping we could sleep here for tonight. We will leave in the morning so we won´t be a bother,”_

_“Young boys like yourself traveling in the wilderness in the middle of the night. Tsk, do your parents know what you´re doing?”_ the woman scolded Kili and Ori making them look at the lady mouths open while blinking.

 _“We´re not….”_ Kili started but was cut off when she opened the door some more motioning them to come inside.

 _“Come in before you get sick, I have nice hot boar stew in the oven,”_ she beckoned chuckling when she heard Ori´s stomach grumble making him wince.

Ori and Kili stepped inside the cottage founding it warm and cozy. Space was divided into four sections, first was the living area with a big fireplace, two couch, and a small table, by the window was a desk and chair with lots of flowers hanging from the ceiling. In awe, the dwarves looked around as their host walked through the living area toward the small kitchen with lots of cabinets, spices, a huge stone oven dominating the room, round table and by the window, again lots of flowers.

Behind the kitchen was a bathing room with a granite bathtub and the way the surface was so smooth, almost shiny earned Kili to wonder if a dwarf had made it.

 _“What´s with the flowers?”_ Ori asked as he gazed at the endless pots of flowers filling almost every corner of the cottage.

Humming she turned to him smiling.

 _“The scent of them soothes me at nights, I lost my husband in that great battle,”_ she replied touching one of the golden flowers gently taking in the sweet scent.

 _“Great battle…does she mean the battle of five armies?”_ Ori whispered furrowing his brows as Kili shrugged his shoulders.

 _“I don´t recall any other battles taking in recently,”_ Kili muttered narrowing his eyes.

 _“Who was your husband, if you don´t mind me asking?”_ Kili asked as he could see clearly the handcraft of a dwarf in the cottage.

A sad expression formed on her face when she heard the question as she turned away from the two dwarves so they would not see the pain in her eyes.

 _“Oh he was one of the Stonefoots, outcast after he married me, a simple human girl 60 years ago,”_ her whisper was very quiet.

Kili was stunned. He had heard the stories of a dwarf in Orocarni, or the Red Mountains in common tongue, who went against his family not wanting to marry a dwarrowdam he was supposed to marry, instead, he married a fair maiden from the human village enraging his entire clan. He became an outcast, forced to leave his home and start from nothing with his newly wedded wife who wasn´t more than 19 years old.

 _“I´m sorry, I shouldn´t have asked that,”_ Kili cast his gaze away mortified.

 _“It´s alright, we had a wonderful life, he built this cottage for us. It was harsh time, but I would do it again if given the chance,”_ she smiled glancing at Kili who offered a small smile.

Wiping the tear rolling on her cheek she then turned toward the oven motioning Ori and Kili to take a seat.

 _“Do you live in Iron Hills if you´re heading there?”_ she asked while filling two bowls offering the food for them.

 _“No, we live in Erebor, his brothers apparently has been seen in Iron Hills so that is why we´re traveling there,”_ Kili spoke while stuffing his mouth full of hot and delicious tasting stew.

 _“Erebor?”_ her brows shut up with a gasp as she stared at her surprise dinner guests.

 _“Aye, we are the dwarves of Erebor, my name is Kili and this is Ori,”_ Kili wiped his mouth pointing at Ori who was concentrating entirely on his food.

Kili could see that his revelation came as a shock as the elderly lady had to support herself against the chair in front of her.

 _“I would have never guess….”_ she muttered under her breath covering her mouth with her hand. Shifting her wide-open eyes to Kili she swallowed.

_“Is….is Thorin Oakenshield on the throne?”_

Now Kili was suspicious as he gazed at the woman warily slowly chewing his food.

_“Why do you ask?”_

The woman turned walking out of the kitchen for a moment. Kili and Ori could hear she was searching for something. Soon enough she came back placing a small box on the table.

_“My husband requested me to deliver this to Thorin if he would die before having the chance to meet him personally,”_

Kili looked at the box, then he lifted his gaze to the woman raising one of his brows in silent question.

_“I don´t what´s inside, he only told me it was related to Thorin´s One,”_

Ori almost choked on his food while Kili´s mouth fell open. Thorin´s One? How did her husband know who Thorin´s beloved was?

Saying nothing Kili took the box seeing familiar runes carved on top of the lid. Durin´s folk. Adding one more mystery into the pile of mysteries he and his brother had been trying to figure out, Kili sighed placing the box in his pocket.

Hoping Fili would be able to find her, Kili then concentrated on his food while their host started baking some apple pie for dessert.

 

 

 


	4. Don´t you remember?

Fili fixed his coat firmly around him lifting the collar to prevent the bitterly cold wind entering inside. With great struggle, Fili had managed to find a place where he could across the raging river. It had taken half a day to walk upstream until he found stones on the river he could jump onto and all the way on the other side.

Fili looked ahead of him, the plains weren´t inviting as the howling wind sent his golden hair twirl wildly forcing him to tie them into a ponytail so he could see where he was going. The brown grass bent almost horizontally under the wind´s will as Fili headed toward the White Mountains he faintly could see rising in the distance. Glancing down on the ground, he could see the huge paw prints leading him toward the unknown territory.

Sighing he plugged straw of grass placing it between his teeth, twirling it around with his tongue as he approached his destination. If he was lucky, he would reach the mountain´s base before it was too dark. All kinds of thoughts came into his mind. What if he couldn´t persuade her to come along with him back to Erebor. There must have been a reason why she didn´t return to them if it really was her howling at nights.

Huffing Fili set his mind to task ahead of him when he noticed a flock of birds flying above him. Without thinking further he reached for his bow and arrow, he had carried with him and aimed.

A high screech echoed through the air as Fili´s arrow hit the mark right through the bird´s chest piercing its heart.

 _“Dinner is served,”_ Fili chuckled jogging to fetch the price that had landed little further away from him.

Stopping Fili looked at the dead bird he recognized it was some sort of goose, a large one at that and Fili smiled pleased. He could fill his stomach this evening fully. He tied the bird´s legs and tossed it over his shoulder continuing his walk when he heard a distant howl. Halting Fili listened keenly turning his head to pinpoint the direction of it. A new plan formed in his head as he glanced at the bird on his shoulder.

 _“Maybe I can draw her out to me with the smell of blood,”_ he muttered.

It was a dirty trick against Thorin´s One but he had no time to search the entire mountain. Speeding his steps Fili nearly jogged the last few miles toward the mountain that was looming ahead. He saw a white cloud starting to form onto the mountain and knew a blizzard was gathering its strength. He needed to start work fast before the snow would cover everything.

 

The smell of fresh blood floated in the air carried by the wind toward the mountains. A black wet nose rose to sniff the air and the pink tip of a tongue wet it a little bit more before a quiet huff escaped. Slowly lifting herself up, the wolf shook herself and a light cloud of snow puffed into the air that had covered her entirely for the last couple of hours. She preferred a nap but the idea of easy dinner was too good to pass. She stretched herself yawning before heading down the narrow, slippery path.

A thick fog covered the mountain base but for her, it was a perfect cover as she walked forward, step by step approaching the area where the smell of blood was coming from. She was cautious now, she smelled something else also but couldn´t pinpoint why the scent was vaguely familiar. A hunter, maybe? Lowering her head she sniffed the ground, a low growl emerging from her throat. She didn´t like the situation she was walking into, but the grumble of her stomach told the wolf, she was hungry.

Grunting she took a step, then another, waiting for something to happen. But nothing. The wind blew behind her sending her fur to twirl in her back and neck as she stood there like a statue looking around.

 

Fili nearly gasped when the white silver-colored, huge wolf came out from the mist in his view almost majestically.

 _“I knew it! She is still alive!”_ Fili screamed in his mind a wide grin forming on his pale face.

He took a minute to take in the animal´s appearance. She looked bigger than last time Fili had seen her which was a little puzzling to him. Her shining, almond-shaped golden eyes indicated the wisdom she had. But when she growled Fili frowned confused. That was unusual behavior for her and he could see the scars on her chest and side. No doubt they came from the fall. Biting his lower lip, Fili kept his eyes on the wolf as it approached the goose lying on the cold ground, blood covering the freshly fallen snow. It was a drastic concept to see, blood covering the pure white ground and a giant predator closing in, emerging from the fog. Any painter in Dale or Erebor would´ve loved to witness such perfection the unforgiving wilderness allowed to glimpse at.

She halted finally, towering the dead bird looking down at it. The smell of fresh blood was intoxicating to her and just when she lowered her head to take it into her mouth and carry it back to her den, another scent hovered in the air right into her nostrils making them flare. The wolf stopped in mid-motion of lowering her head, her snout wrinkled as she bared her teeth and a deep warning growl rose from the back of her throat. Slowly the wolf lifted her gaze locking it with horrified looking Fili who never had thought he would be on the other end of her anger. The hair of her back rose, her tail was stiff as she lifted her head high snarling at the dwarf who dared to try to trick her.

 _“Please…y/n….it´s me, Fili,”_ the golden prince slowly stood up keeping his hands high enough for her to see he had no weapons on him.

Another growl came from her followed by the snap of her jaws as she bit the air giving him a warning which indicated she didn´t recognize the name he gave her.

Fili frowned.

_“Don´t you remember me?”_

The wolf didn´t move, only glared at him cautiously.

_“Don´t you remember what happened two years ago? Don´t you remember Thorin?”_

As Thorin´s name rolled off of Fili´s tongue, there was a tiny flicker of emotion in her eyes. It sounded familiar, but she couldn´t match a face with the name. How did she know that name?

The wolf took a wary step back a whine escaping her. Shaking her head she tried to remember why did the name affect her so strongly. Her heart was beating faster in her chest, blood rushing through her veins at the sound of that name. Why?

 _“Hey, it´s okay. You must have hit your head when you fell into that gulley with Navubela, Dori, and Nori. You most likely are suffering from memory loss,”_ Fili used his most soft tone of voice to sooth the wolf who was clearly getting anxious.

She snapped her head toward him. The gulley? How did he know about that? Was he the cause of why she ended up down there in the first place? Vicious snarl emerged from her anger boiling inside of her as she prepared to jump on him.

 _“No, no, no, no! It´s not what you think! Someone shot an arrow on your chest causing you to fall. Thorin had been trying to find the culprit for these past two years!”_ Fili nearly shouted lifting his hands in front of him taking a step back when he realized what was going on in her head.

Eyeing him suspiciously the wolf halted in tempt of attacking him but her ears were up so she was at least curious about what else Fili could tell her. Sighing in relief Fili relaxed a bit lowering his arms sitting down on a rock behind him.

 _“You are Thorin Oakenshield´s One, his betrothed. You helped us, dwarves of Erebor to reclaim the Mountain from Smaug about three, four years ago and was going to be his wife and Queen of Erebor,”_ Fili started to tell the wolf her story, a solemn expression on his face as Fili was forced to remember the horrors of the past.  

Frowning she sat down listening carefully what this golden dwarf was telling her, it sounded vaguely familiar but yet, she couldn't place it as her past.

 

***

 

Lying on the soft beds, Kili and Ori were cozy and stomachs full, it didn´t take long for Ori to fall asleep. But Kili was wide awake, plagued by the mysterious box the woman had given him. Quietly not to wake Ori, Kili rose from the bed and made his way to his coat and fished out the box and walked by the window where a single candle was still burning. Sitting on the windowsill Kili turned the small carved box in his hands' brows furrowed. How random dwarf would know who Thorin´s One was and how did the content of this box related to them? Kili was more puzzled the more he thought about the subject.

 _“I shouldn´t look inside,”_ he muttered to himself but curiosity was taking over his mind as he kept turning the box gazing at the runes at the surface.

_“I really shouldn´t…”_

His fingers gently unhooked the tiny metal latch and opened the lid peeking inside. What Kili saw, made him gasp in shock. Inside the box, on top of velvety blue tiny cushion lied a single coin made of mithril. Swallowing Kili gently took the coin and turned seeing there were carvings each side of the coin. Then his eyes caught a glimpse of a letter that was attached on the inside of the lid.

 

_“My King,_

_I´m forever in debt of your One who saved my life a few years ago when our paths crossed. I couldn´t thank her enough as she saved me from the ambush of a pack of orcs when I was traveling back home. You have the most gentle soul in your life, who cherish life in a way I could never do in such depths. She helped me, nursed me back to health so I could return to my wife. I hoped I could thank your majesty in person, but if I can´t I hope this small gift of appreciation will reach you. I know how rare it is to find your chosen One and it makes me happy to know our King has found such a gentle soul with the spirit of a warrior._

_Regards_

_Khurrin Stonefoot”_

 

Placing the coin back on the cushion Kili closed the lid staring death ahead, stunned. This must have happened during their travel toward Erebor when she was patrolling making sure the company wouldn´t walk into a trap. He remembered when Thorin was worried one time when she didn´t appear into the camp like she usually did, in fact, she didn´t appear several days making everyone wonder if she had been killed during a fight or hunted down. When she finally had shown up she didn´t tell anyone why it took so long her to reach them.

Sighing Kili stood up placing the box back to his coat´s pocket and snuggled under the warm blankets. The only question kept twirling in his mind, why didn´t she tell them? What had happened that forced her to keep this as a secret? Kili knew Thorin would ask the same question himself and knowing his uncle, Thorin wasn´t going to be subtle about it, that was if Fili found the she-wolf alive and well.


	5. Where are you now?

Thorin was staring absentmindedly out the window of his chambers resting his chin onto the back of his hand. A single tear rolled over his cheek as memories hit him once again hard. The ache in Thorin´s heart was getting worse, he missed his One so much it physically hurt him. The monsters inside of him were running wild, he relived that fateful day two years ago every night. The image of the white silver wolf falling with a pained cry into the black abyss of the gulley haunted him mercilessly. Those watery, golden eyes locked with his blue ones begging him to help but he was powerless to do anything to stop her from falling into her death with Navubela, Dori, and Nori. Thorin was afraid her memory would in time fade away and soon he wouldn´t be able to remember what she looked like, what she sounded like or smelled.

When he wasn´t sleeping, the image of the wolf walking alone in the darkness, a small lantern in its mouth filled Thorin´s mind as he had read every single book there was that told him where skin-changers went after they died. Some said they went in the Great Halls of Valar, some said their spirits were roaming in the darkness for all eternity carrying a lantern guiding others so they would not be lost. But the texts were nothing but lures, guesses at best. No one knew where their souls traveled after death.

The raindrops were drumming against the windowsill making Thorin sink even deeper in his dark thoughts of his wolf lying on the gulley´s floor, nothing but bones remained there now. Taking a shaky breathe like he was trying to catch his breath Thorin reminded himself how it felt to hear her voice. Closing his eyes he could picture her standing there right in front of him smiling that radiant smile of hers that made his heart skip a beat. Her lips were moving but he couldn´t hear a thing. The grief took hold of him tighter and Thorin twirled around angry, throwing the goblet of ale into the wall letting out of pained shout before collapsing in his knees hanging his head. The shaggy, long silver-lined hair cascaded Thorin´s face that was contorted with the pain of loss.

She was whispering into his mind although the voice was something Thorin didn´t recognize anymore, she had become something he couldn´t embrace no matter how much he wished he could.

A loud knock on the door of his chamber went unnoticed until it became nonstop a banging sound that irritated him enough for Thorin to stand up and briskly walk up to the door nearly yanking it right off of its hinders.

 _“What???”_ he barked.

Balin merely smiled at him taking in Thorin´s miserable appearance.

 _“I know you said you don´t want to attend any meetings but unfortunately there is a guest who demands your presence,”_ Balin spoke with a gentle tone, his eyes warm knowing well what Thorin was still going through.

Growling Thorin took a step forward and was just about to let Balin know exactly what was in his mind when someone cleared their throat behind the elderly dwarf. Thorin´s blazing eyes shifted from Balin´s face behind him and went wide open when his gaze landed on Bilbo who was standing awkwardly there, waving at the king with a weak smile.

 _“Umm, hello,”_ Bilbo chuckled quietly.

 _“Bilbo!”_ Thorin´s voice sounded almost relieved and happy to see his old friend standing in front of him.

Balin stepped aside to let Thorin give the hobbit a warm welcoming hug which Bilbo returned gladly. Balin motioned the two of them to step inside of the royal chambers so they could talk in peace.

Bilbo took off his traveling coat and putting his bag onto the floor while Thorin walked to stoke the fire in the fireplace. Balin took the trade with three goblets and a jug full of ale walking into the parlor setting the trade onto the small table between two armchair and a couch.

 _“Come on Bilbo take a seat,”_ Balin nodded toward the couch.

The hobbit smiled walking up to the couch and flopped down taking a discreet look around while Thorin was busy with the fireplace.

Finally, Thorin straightened himself turning around and walked up to the armchair sitting down gazing at the halfling curiously.

 _“Why are you here? I thought you had enough of dwarves for the rest of your life?”_ Thorin asked half a smile on his face. Bilbo smiled back gasting his eyes into his hands licking his lips. Thorin frowned at Bilbo´s behavior, he wasn´t nervous of been here was he?

 _“I got a letter a few months ago. Who wrote it requested me to come here as you were in need of a friend,”_ Bilbo spoke quietly looking up to Thorin who seemed surprised.

_“Who?”_

_“I rather not say,”_ Bilbo cleared his throat accepting the goblet Balin offered him.

 _“If it was one of my nephews….”_ Thorin nearly snarled an unidentified emotion flickering shortly on his face before a masked shadow replaced it making Bilbo swallow thickly.

_“No, no, it didn´t come from them,”_

_“Does it matter? He is here and let´s face it, you do need a friend,”_ Balin pointed out suddenly, his voice stern giving no room to argue.

Thorin snapped his mouth shut only glare at his old friend and adviser.

 _“If I needed a friend, I would have said so,”_ he muttered taking his goblet and took a long drink from it while Bilbo and Balin looked at him in wonder.

 _“Forgive me if I don´t believe you. You look like a vagabond, not the king of Erebor I remember leaving behind after the battle was over,”_ Bilbo guffed staring at Thorin from the corner of his eye.

Thorin nearly choked on his drink and the stunned look on his stared at Bilbo ale drops falling from his unattended beard that was longer and reminded Bilbo of magpie´s nest.

 _“I know you´re still grieving the loss of your queen, but you have to take care of yourself. I don´t think she would want you to wallow in your sadness forever, it´s been two years, for Valar´s sake. You have a kingdom to run you know. You can´t expect Fili to do everything for you,”_ Bilbo scolded Thorin making the dwarf cast his gaze from the hobbit. He knew Bilbo was right, but it felt so wrong to carry on living.

 _“So, when you´re done moping let´s take care of that mess you call hair. And you´re in desperate need of bath too,”_ Bilbo pointed at Thorin´s head while pinching his nose like making a point that Thorin, in fact, was stinking. Thorin merely raised his eyebrow while looking at Bilbo who was turning up his nose.

 _“He is right, you know,”_ Balin hummed looking over his goblet earning a huff from the king followed by an eye roll.

 _“Of course I´m right. At the moment he is more like a king under the stench than under the mountain…”_ Bilbo grinned making Balin nearly choke on his drink and Thorin to glare at him not so amused.

 _“Fine! I´m going to have a bath if you stop mocking me,”_ Thorin snapped earning giggles from both of them.

 _“Gladly! Whatever it takes to make you scrub that smelly layer off of your skin_ ,” Bilbo spoke through his nose. Huffing Thorin rose from his seat and headed to his bathing chamber leaving sniggering duo to their own.

 

***

 

 _“Those ungrateful, pestering bunch of…”_ Thorin muttered while preparing his bath and started stripping.

Steam was slowly filling the chamber as Thorin finally stepped into the bath humming pleasantly as the hot water surrounded his entire body. The herbs he was using caressed his nose as he started working on his arms forcefully scrubbing the skin raw. When he was finished with his body that looked like piglet´s skin Thorin focused on his hair, working through the knots and rubbing his scalp until he wasn´t smelling like a cave troll. Standing up he changed the water and submerged fully after filling the tub. Then starting all over again Thorin was after two hours sure he was as clean as a dwarf could possibly be and stepped out taking the towel starting to dry himself.

Wrapping the towel around his waist, Thorin walked into his bedchamber taking out comfortable clothes as his presence wasn´t required formal meetings today. Sighing he sat in front of his mirror starting to work through his hair, combing it, sectioning and braiding it. Only stopping when he realized he didn´t need to braid the courting braid anymore Thorin stared through the mirror his reflection of his hair where the courting braid had been. Thorin´s throat was tightening again as tears were forcing themselves out from his eyes.

 _“Where are you, my love? I hope it´s peaceful wherever you are….”_ whispering his voice sounded broken. His body was shaking as he struggled to keep it together, Thorin didn´t want to lose his compose while Balin and Bilbo were sitting in the parlor waiting for him to join them again.


	6. Still here

_”And that is why I am here,”_ Fili ended his story how he and his brother heard her howls a few weeks back and they were sure Thorin´s one was still alive.

The wolf had sat down, ears perked occasional whine escaping her while she listened. This Thorin sounded familiar yet she couldn´t remember him, what he looked like or sounded like but one thing was certain, the king loved her. Very much apparently if the dwarf was still mourning his loss after two years.

Fili bit his lower lip nervously watching the wolf´s expressions keenly. The emotion of softness was there, in her golden eyes whenever he had mentioned Thorin´s name so she at least recognized it at some level. Slowly standing up from where he had been sitting Fili fixed his bags and coat glancing at the animal who was watching him.

 _“Would you….consider come with me? In Erebor? See if anything there trigger your lost memories, you could see Thorin too,”_ Fili´s voice was hopeful as he looked at the wolf who tilted her head thinking about the option.

_“Everyone misses you terribly,”_

The small crack in his voice earned her to frown, the voice was earnest she had ever heard. Huffing she stood up shaking her fur from the snow and gazed at him lightly wagging her tail a few times. Fili broke into a big beaming smile when he realized she was coming with him.

Glancing at her back Fili was hoping she would let him ride her, the journey back would be faster but the way she bared her teeth and growled at him, told the exact opposite. No back riding. Sighing Fili lifted his bag to his shoulder and turning around led the way toward the plains where he had come from, the white silver wolf following him littler further away.

His mission was halfway completed. Now he just needed to convince his uncle to be patient with her, as she wasn´t the same all of them remembered.

 _“I hope Kili and Ori have managed to find Nori and Dori,”_ Fili muttered to himself.

They walked in silence, an odd couple if anyone was to witness it; a golden-haired dwarf and a grand she-wolf crossing the plains while the freezing wind howled across earth earning shivers from Fili. She wasn´t bothered by it, her fur was so thick it kept the warmth in but as she watched Fili struggling as the wind got stronger she figured might as well help him. Dwarves were built for cold weathers but even they had their limits, especially when tired and mildly undernourished. Speeding her steps the wolf appeared next to Fili who lifted his head in surprise seeing her walking beside him, blocking the wind.

Glancing down from the corner of her eye she saw Fili´s soft smile that reached in his blue eyes as he silently thanked her. A gentle grumble left her as she set her eyes back on the road, and Fili interpreted it a friendly response to his gratitude.

She let her mind wander, what it would be like when they reached Erebor, would everyone truly remember her and love her as this golden dwarf claimed? It had been over two years after she had woken in the bottom of the gulley.

She had felt utterly lost and defeated, but still, here she was, standing proudly on her own. Her heart felt heavy like it was in pieces but it would beat again one day. She wasn´t sure what caused that kind of feeling. Like she had lost something important, something she loved more than life itself. In those lonely moments when she felt like everything came crashing down and she couldn't understand why she looked up seeking comfort from the night sky. There was a story written in the stars but she wasn´t sure how to read it. But still, the stars and the moon gave her much needed comfort and it made it worth it to bear the scars. And now she was heading toward the next adventure with this person who seemed to know more of her than she did.   


The sun was setting making it hard to see where they were going but the roaring sound of the river was echoing in the distance so Fili was sure it wasn´t more than few miles ahead. But again, it was too risky to cross it in darkness.

 _“Let´s stop for the night, I don´t wanna cross the river in total darkness,”_ Fili spoke and the wolf halted glancing back at him. Although she wasn´t feeling tired at all, Fili looked exhausted. A quiet bark later Fili nodded his head getting on the task building a camp. The wind made it difficult as he fumbled trying to get the fire going. His hands were so cold it made him rather clumsy. The wolf sat a couple of feet away watching him. After a few failed attempts Fili managed to lit up the fire and sighed in relief as he started warming his hands.

She knew as the wind was getting worse, the fire wouldn´t survive long so she stood up, approaching Fili from the behind and curled around him and the fire, shielding them both from the raging wind resting her head on the ground next to Fili´s legs. Fili jumped in fright at first but as he watched how the wolf offered a barrier and warmth against the cold Fili couldn´t help but smile. She might not remember much, but her kind nature was still there, peeking through from time to time.

 

***

 

Ori and Kili finally had reached Iron Hills' main gate. It was almost as grand as Erebor´s entry earning gasp from Ori who stared at it in awe. The guards on each side of it walked to meet the two dwarves demanding to know who they were.

 _“I´m Kili Durin, nephew of Thorin Oakenshield, King of Erebor and this is Ori, brother of Nori and Dori who we believe is here. Can we see Dain?”_ Kili explained politely while Ori was nervously glancing toward the gate, hoping his brothers indeed were behind it.

 _“Wait here,”_ one of the guards grumbled turning around walking up to the gate and shouted someone to fetch Dain.

 _“What makes you think your brothers are here?”_ other guard asked curiously gazing at Ori who nipped his lip.

 _“We have heard rumors of two dwarves that traveled here and the descriptions match his brothers,”_ Kili answered glancing at anxious Ori beside him.

_“You say you´re from Erebor, why they would come here?”_

_“Last time we saw them, they fell into a deep gulley in Mirkwood, we were sure they died but it would now seem they survived. Why they didn´t return to Erebor is why we are here to find out,”_ Kili told the guard whose expression shifted from curious to confused. He was about to ask some more questions when a sudden command from behind him startled the guard.

_“Dain wants to meet them! Bring the two!”_

_“Let´s go. I hope you find your brothers,”_ he murmured as he turned around guiding them inside toward the throne room on upper levels Dain was waiting for them.

The mountain was buzzing with dwarves, excited chatting filling the entire mountain, while Kili and Ori followed the guard through the fast halls toward staircases. It reminded them of Erebor, with maze-like corridors and bridges to connect other levels, torches lighting the way. Each level was marked with khuzdul runes stating which level they were on.

Dwarrowdams with bright colored gowns, complex braids on their hair and beard greeted them with dashing smiles making Ori nearly blush.

 _“This is the market level, mostly dwarrowdams work here, making, selling and buying fabrics, pieces of jewelry and clothes,”_ the guard explained as they walked through the busy lane, passing by shops of varies kinds.

Both Kili and Ori were impressed by glancing around goofy grins on their faces. Reaching another staircase they followed the guard passing another level of workshops, maintained by dwarrows who worked also at the forges.

Climbing up onto level twenty, they finally reached the throne room and taking a deep breath Kili straightened himself, bracing to meet Thorin´s cousin.

 _“You ready?”_ Kili whispered to Ori who merely nodded.

The heavy door was opened and a great hall of the throne room opened in front of them. Stepping inside Kili noticed Dain who was facing back to them consulting with someone when he heard the door being opened.

Turning around he grinned as he recognized Kili and opened his arms.

 _“Welcome lads! I heard you are yet on another guest,”_ he chuckled as Kili and Ori approached him.

 _“You might say that. We are looking for his brothers,”_ Kili smiled accepting Dain´s bearlike hug that nearly crushed his bones.

Curiously Dain´s twinkling eyes shifted on Ori who gave a small smile, hoping Dain wouldn´t hug him too as he watched Kili grimacing in Dain´s hold.

 _“My my, how did you manage to lose your brothers,”_ Dain chuckled letting go of Kili who gasped for air holding his middle.

 _“It´s a long story…”_ Ori muttered earning Dain to raise his brows before letting out a heartfelt laugh.

 _“Well, laddie, I have time. Why don´t we get you comfortable, Kassom! Make two chambers near mine for these fine lads and inform the kitchen, we´re feasting tonight,”_ Dain´s commanding voice boomed across the room. Kassom bowed and hurried toward the kitchen to give them the notice before heading to royal quarters after fetching the dwarrowdams who were in charge of the guest chambers.

Hitting his hands together Dain looked at his new guests with a wide grin.

_“I´m eager to hear about your latest adventures. How´s Thorin?”_

The look Ori and Kili exchanged with each other, told Dain, the story wasn´t going to be a happy one.


End file.
